Vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for individuals aged 60 and above is likely economically viable as it helps prevent sickness, hospital stays, loss of quality of life, and fatalities, according to recent findings.
Vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus for adults over 60 is likely cost-effective by preventing illness, hospitalizations, lost quality of life and deaths, according to new research.
A study carried out by researchers from the University of Michigan, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and published in the journal Vaccine, assessed newly authorized RSV vaccines: Arexvy by GSK and Abrysvo by Pfizer. The analysis did not cover a third vaccine, Moderna’s mRESVIA, which is also approved.
These vaccines are currently accessible to adults aged 60 and older. The CDC endorses a single dose for individuals over 75 and also recommends one dose for those over 60 who may be at higher risk for severe disease. In May 2023, the FDA authorized both vaccines for older adults, which health professionals and public health experts see as a major breakthrough in the fight against this disease. According to the CDC, RSV is responsible for 60,000 to 160,000 hospital admissions and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths among adults aged 67 and above annually.
“This is a landmark study that underscores the promising impact of RSV vaccination on public health and economic factors for older adults,” remarked David Hutton, the study’s lead author and a professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.
Before vaccines were approved for older adults, RSV immunizations were mainly suggested for high-risk infants. RSV is a prevalent respiratory virus known for causing severe respiratory issues in young children, especially infants under one year.
“Given RSV remains a significant risk for this age group, we hope these findings will offer crucial insights for healthcare leaders and policymakers,” Hutton added.
To assess the cost-effectiveness, Hutton and his team looked at the general population of older adults and tracked RSV-related healthcare usage, which included outpatient visits, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and deaths associated with RSV.
The researchers specifically focused on quality-adjusted life-years lost (QALY) and the societal costs linked to RSV infections, discovering that costs varied according to age and vaccine type. They found that vaccine effectiveness, hospitalization rates for RSV, and the price of vaccines significantly influenced the cost for each QALY saved.
For instance:
- For all adults aged 60 and older, the societal cost per QALY saved was $196,842 for GSK’s Arexvy and $176,557 for Pfizer’s Abrysvo.
- For individuals aged 65 and older, the costs were lower at $162,138 for GSK and $146,543 for Pfizer.
- For those aged between 60 and 64, the costs per QALY saved were considerably higher, at $385,829 for GSK and $331,486 for Pfizer.
Traditionally, efforts to prevent and treat RSV have concentrated on younger populations due to a higher risk of severe outcomes and hospitalization. With the increasing recognition of similar risks among older adults, RSV vaccines have been developed to help prevent severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths related to RSV.
The researchers concluded that RSV vaccination could be cost-effective for adults aged 60 and above, particularly for the older segments of this group. They mentioned that lowering vaccine prices and maintaining effectiveness beyond two RSV seasons could enhance the cost-effectiveness for a larger population. However, they also noted some uncertainties, especially regarding the long-term effectiveness of the vaccines.
“We are eager to continue collaborating with the CDC to identify the most effective ways to allocate our healthcare resources to prevent respiratory diseases,” Hutton shared, who is also a professor at the U-M College of Engineering.
The co-authors of the study alongside Hutton include Lisa Prosser, Angela Rose, and Kerra Mercon from the University of Michigan, along with Ismael Ortega-Sanchez, Andrew Leidner, Fiona Havers, Mila Prill, Michael Whitaker, Lauren Roper, Jamison Pike, Amadea Britton, and Michael Melgar from the CDC.
